Semester Test Blog

[7Cati]

1. What were the causes of the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression?

Stock Market

• Began on Black Thursday dropped 11%,
• Dropped 13% on Black Monday
• Lack of government regulation-stock prices were grossly inflated, had no real value
• Buying stocks on margin/over-priced stock
• Pooling-is buying stocks for a low amount, demand increases, price goes up, sold them for a lot more than they were worth
• Tuesday 29 dropped another 11%
• 16 million shares sold that day
• By 1930, 6-7 million people were unemployed
• Vicious cycle of great depression-unemployment meant fewer customers, decrease in customers caused further cutbacks in production
• Cutbacks kept happening, more unemployment, by 1932 12 million people were unemployed

Great Depression

• Stock Market crash-people lost their jobs and lost money
• Bank failures
• American Economic Policy with Europe
• Drought conditions
• Overproduction-in industry and agriculture (Farm Crisis)              

1. What impact did the stock market crash and Great Depression have on the lives of people in the United States?

• Stock Market crash-people lost their jobs and lost money
• Bank failures
• American Economic Policy with Europe
• Overproduction-in industry and agriculture (Farm Crisis)
• Unemployment
• Homelessness/Starvation
• Trickle-down theory

 

1. What did the United States government do to help alleviate the problems the Great Depression brought to our country?

President Hoover

• 31st President, born in Iowa, became president 6 months before stock market crashed
• Born August 10, 1874
• Served as Head of U.S. Food Administration, Secretary of Commerce
• Blamed for the Great Depression, didn't realize the severity of it
• Hoover's Philosophy-Laissez faire (let it happen), Trickle Down Theory (Give the rich people more money so they could hire more people), Rugged Individualism (Help themselves, work hard..), didn't like to use federal money
• RFC-Reconstruction Finance Corporation-gave loans to banks, state and local govt's, and businesses to create projects/jobs for people; gave states loans for emergency relief needs; not as successful as he had hoped

President Roosevelt

New Deal(Goals/1st and 2nd)-Roosevelt's plan to get the country "back on track"

• First New Deal (1933-1934)
• Investment in Public Workings-Built roads, highways, and bridges; built schools, theaters, libraries, city halls, homes, parks, post offices, and airports; creating jobs-have to buy material from other businesses (helped economy)
• Civic Uplift-Helped every state, town, and community; inspired a civic, cultural, and economic renaissance
• Job Creation-create agencies to make jobs, recognized rights of workers to form unions
• Economics-stabilize banks, clean up financial mess from stock market crash, helped farmers
• The Three R's-Relief (Temporary relief for citizens), Recovery (Help economy), Reform (fix causes of great depression)
• Second New Deal (1935-1936)
• Roosevelt's second part of the plan
• Goals-Improved use of natural resources, security against old age (social security), unemployment and illness (helping them), clearing Hoovervilles (making them actual towns in a good shape)
• Helped people in need more than the First New Deal did

Unemployed

• 6 agencies that helped public, built over 900,000 public buildings
• Public Works Administration, worked on large public work (Empire State Building), spent a lot of money which allowed for a lot of men to gain jobs
• Works Progress Admin, was an art, music, etc program; contained 4 separate agencies; built 60% of all schools during the time and 30% of hospitals
• Civilian Conservation Corps-sent men to the forest, learned about fire prevention, created national forests
• Major Projects Built-Hoover Dam, Lincoln Tunnel, Overseas Highway

Young people

• National Youth Administration-"Work Study", $6-$40 a month
• Civilian Conservation Corps-Men 16-25, ran by people in the army, lived away from home, got $30 a month (had to give $25 to family), had construction jobs, forest jobs..
• Most children and teenagers had to provide for their families, teenagers lived at home and worked, 3 million children had to leave school, many schools were shut down, children were left hungry, some stole things to get by

Factory workers

• Wagner Act-National Labor Relations Act-guarantees basic rights of private sector employees to organize into trade unions, engaging bargaining
• Fair Labor Standards Act-Known as Wages and Hours Bill, introduced 44 hour work weeks, established minimum wage, time and a half overtime, prohibited child labor, "Most important part of the New Deal", children under 18 cannot do dangerous jobs, under 16 cannot work during school hours
• National Industrial Recovery Act-authorized president to regulate industry in attempt to raise prices
• Public Works Administration-large scale public works construction agency, built dams, bridges, hospitals, and schools, purpose was to provide employment and revive economy

Labor unions

• An organization of workers to achieve common goals, protect their rights
• 3 million labor union members in 1933

Farmers

• AAA- agricultural adjustment act, paid farmers to produce less crops, also called the farm relief bill FFB- Federal Farm Board FSA- Farm Security administration If you had main crops the aaa would pay you to produce less Price had doubled in 3 years Crops were ploughed back. 2.5 million men left Incomes doubled for farmers Left many unemployed Some people lost farms Dorothea Lange, got a job from FSA to bring attention to the problems farmers had

Elderly

• Social Security Act-Fiscal year=tax year, age 65, old age assistance (payments to aged individuals), poorhouses
• The Account-old age reserve account
• Most expected government to assist

Poor People

• Food-Breadlines and Soup kitchens were operated by churches, charities, and the government
• Hoovervilles-housing (had bed and stove), Hoover (leather-cardboard soles on shoes, blankets, flags, wagons), began to get smaller in the 1940's
• HOLC-started mortgages, Homeowner's refinancing act
• FCA-farm credit administration-helped farmers with farm so they wouldn't have to get rid of livestock..

Homeowners

• Rates fell quickly and housing prices plummeted, Federal Reserve didn't help as much as they should have
• National Housing Act-(Capehart Act), designed to stop bank foreclosures on family homes, created Federal Housing Administration and the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation
• Federal Housing Administration-made housing and home mortgages more affordable
• FSLIC-insured deposits in savings and loans
• United States Housing Authority-designed to lend money to the states or communities for low cost construction
• Homeowners Loan Corporation-to refinance home mortgages currently in default to prevent foreclosure

Artists and Musicians 

• Artists-Time of exploration, sought for popularity, expressed themselves, hired by the government
• Federal Art Project-Came from Federal One, goals were to get artists and musicians to obtain money to get back on their feet 
• American Gothic-Grant Wood
• Musicians-Federal Music Production-employed musicians and composers to put on concerts and festivals, give music lessons..
• Federal Music Production-get people interested, happiness, music education, equality, children learned about music, distraction from the Depression

Women

• Women weren't educated, stayed at home
• Federal Emergency Relief Administration-Eleanor Roosevelt supported, brought families together, provided work and loans
• Works Progress Administration-Ellen Woodward-1 of 3 members in Social Security Board, Supervisor, Applying as many as possible, women worked by gardening and canning during summers, got 31 cents an hour if they worked in school lunchrooms, more than a thousand women were employed as housekeepers, sponsors provided money, provided material like library books, only 709 women had jobs
• Working Conditions-many women were forced to find jobs, life threatening

 

 

 

 

1. What were the causes of WWII?

United States

• Pearl Harbor
• Stopped trading oil with Japan

Europe

• Treaty of Versailles
• The Great Depression
• Actions of Hitler and Mussolini
• Policy of Appeasement
• League of Nations failed
• Hitler invading Poland
• Rise of nationalism

Asia

• Japanese invasion of Manchuria
• Japanese invasion of China
• Great Depression

1. What impact did the United States have on WWII?

• Helped Great Britain-they relied on the US
  • We gave them loans and oil
  • Russia
    • Depended on us for American trucks, boots, and food to give to the Russian Army
  • Helped with major turning points
    • Battle of Midway
    • Invasion of France
    • Invasion of Italy
  • US Naval forces were very strong
  • Shipped out food
  • Had a very strong army and navy
  • Used a lot of propaganda
  • Lend-Lease with Great Britain
  • Had many volunteer groups to help troops
  • Americans saved their resources
  • Rationed food
    • “Do with less-so they’ll have enough”
  • War Bonds
    • Made Americans to hate the enemy war and the war less
  • Helped with D-Day, also in North Africa and Italy
  • Brought another major power into the war
  • Brought fresh troops to help the Allies in Europe

6. What were the goals for the US during the Cold War?

• Wanted to promote open markets for US goods to prevent another depression
• Promote democracy throughout the world, especially in Asia and Africa
• Stop the spread of communism
• Wanted to avoid the domino effect

7. What were some of the major events that took place during the Cold War?

Berlin Blockade/airlift

• June 1948- May 1949
• the west wanted the east to rejoin, but Stalin feared it would hurt the soviet security
• In June 1948, Stalin decided to try to gain control of West Berlin which was deep inside the eastern sector
• He cut roads, rail and canal links with West Berlin, hoping to starve it into submission

Cuban Missile Crisis

• October 1962. About 2 weeks very nervous people didn't want to have a nuclear war. The US quarantined Cuba (aka kind of blockaded them) The quarantined keep missiles from reaching Cuba, except the ones that were already there. Bombarded places to get airstrike to take out Cuba. Soviets withdrew and promised to never trade with them either. US to never invade Cuba and never borrow or exchange with them.

Red Scare/McCarthyism

• fear of rising communism
• Had trials to find communists in America, questioned them a lot; wanted him to rat out names. Wanted power, to be President
• In 1950 McCarthy gave a speech where he claimed to have a list of 205 communist in the State Department
• No one in the press actually saw the names on the list, but McCarthy announcement made national news and caused panic throughout the country
• McCarthy became one of the most powerful in the US
• Supporters of Communists
  • Republicans
  • Catholics
  • Conservative Protestants
  • Blue Collar workers
  • Joseph and Robert Kennedy
  • Censured him from his power

 

Bay of Pigs

• Castro came to power in 1958. Troops were trained in Miami by the CIA. US took old bomber planes and painted them trying to overthrow Castro and and kill the Cuban troops.

 

Berlin Wall

• Soviets put up a wall to keep people in; didn't want people fleeing to West Berlin
• People wanted out of East Germany
• Didn't want to build it because it would make them look bad
• 28 miles long
• Had to go through Checkpoint Charlie and Brandenberg Gate if you wanted to leave
• Came down 24 years later

 End of the Cold War

• Why we won the war
  • We had close ties with our Allies and the USSR didn't
  • China started siding with us after 1972
  • The Soviet Economy was in shambles whereas the US was flourishing
    • Huge deficit 
    • High inflation
    • Corruption
    • Social Problems
    • Shortage of the basic needs
    • Strong anti-communist presidency of Ronald Reagan
    • Gorbechev's willingness for change and reform
      • Glasnost and perestroika 
      • Admitted Soviet mistakes
      • Took blame for the Cold War
      • Communist system had failed
      • *Allowed Eastern Europe to do what they wanted*
      • Arms Reduction Talk
  • Soviet Mistakes
    • Invasion of Afghanistan
    • Ignoring social concerns
    • Spent everything on military
  • Post Cold War
    • In the 1990's, the world seemed to be a much more peaceful place 
    • President Clinton closed down numerous military bases around the country reducing the size of US military
    • 9-11 caught the US off guard

8. Why did the US go to war in Korea and Vietnam and what were outcome of those wars?

Korea

• Also known as the Forgotten War
• 56,000 Americans were killed
• North Korea ruled by Kim Il Sung
• United Nations held an election in 1948-were trying to hold a free election
• Soviet refused to allow participation in the election in their occupied zone
• Instead, handed over power to North Korean Communist Party
• US pulled troops out of South Korea after WWII-left it free for North Korea to attack
• North Korea attacked, almost got all of Korea, then UN got involved
  • Security Council
    • US
    • Great Britain
    • China
    • Russia (USSR)
    • France
    • Other troops got involved, later fought around 38th parallel
    • Never signed a peace treaty-only an armistice
    • DMZ was initiated

Vietnam

• Vietnam was under Japan rule in WW2, the French after
• French soon gave them freedom and country was divided in 2
• supposed to be elections to unify country but they never took place because neither side wanted to lose
• North turned to communism, invaded south
• We sent troops over for defensive purposes
• Bombed the North constantly
• Then sent offensive troops over
• War was expanded into Laos and Cambodia
• The End
  • January 15, 1973, Nixon announced that they were going to get out of Vietnam
  • Paris Peace Accords were later signed which officially ended US involvement in the Vietnam conflict
    • Fighting stopped
    • US would pull out of Vietnam
    • North and South Vietnam would recognize each other's independence
    • The peace agreement didn't last
    • March 1975, North invaded the South
    • South was not strong enough and fell quickly
    • US did not live up to it's promise to come to their aid if the North attacked
    • North Vietnam united both North and South Vietnam to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
    • Vietnam is still communist today

 

9. Know these major post-Cold War Events:

-JFK Assassination

• Was shot in Dallas, Texas
  • Was there of political issues in the Democrat Party
  • November 22, 1963
  • Shot by Lee Harvey Oswald
  • 3 shots were fired
  • Kennedy was shot in the upper back, throat, and head
  • Pronounced dead an hour later
  • Buried in Arlington National Cemetery
  • Many conspiracies about who might have killed Kennedy

-Civil Rights

• Brown vs. Board of education
  • Ending segregation in schools
  • I have a dream speech (MLK Jr. Speech)
  • Civil Rights Act 1964
    • Abolished segregation
    • Got rid of Jim Crow Laws
    • 24^th Amendment
      • Got rid of poll taxes
      • Voting Rights Act 1965

-Watergate

• Richard Nixon
• Scandal happened in 1972
• Break in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters
• The Nixon Administration tried to hide that they had anything to do with it
  • Bugged the system to make sure that Nixon would get re-elected
  • Used FBI, CIA, and IRS
  • Nixon later resigned to avoid questioning

-Persian Gulf War (1991)

• August 1990-February 1991
• Iraq invaded Kuwait
• Operation Desert Shield
• Operation Desert Storm
• Results
  • Coalition Force victory, Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait, destruction of Iraq/Kuwait infrastructure
  • Coalition-482 dead, Iraq-20,000-35,000
  • 1991-2009
    • No fly zone, weapons inspectors, WMD’s

-9-11

• 4 commercial planes were hijacked by terrorists (al-Qaeda)
• 2 of them were flown and crashed into the World Trade Center
  • The towers burst in flames
  • Later fell
  • Many people died
  • 1 went and crashed into the Pentagon
  • The last plane was supposedly meant to hit the White House, but the passengers on the plane realized what was happening and fought the terrorists and ended up crashing in a field in Pennsylvania
  • Osama bin Laden was in charge of Al Qaeda
  • He was later killed in 2011, under Obama’s presidency

-War in Afghanistan

• US invaded Afghanistan in October 2001
• Taliban , Afghanistan’s government from 1995-2001, allowed al-Qaeda to train there
• President Obama plans to have all troops out by the end of 2014
• Bush Doctrine
  • Policy that says the US had the right to secure itself against countries that harbor or give aid to terrorist groups
  • Used to justify the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan and the 2003 invasion of Iraq

-War in Iraq

• 2003-2011
• Bush told the nation that Saddam Hussein was getting WMD’s and was not allowing weapons inspectors into his country
• US invades Iraq in March
• Was very unpopular
• People didn’t want troops there
  • Bush sent more people over, the surge
  • War ends under President Obama in December 2011
  • Obama pledged to end war
  • US never found any WMD
  • US did end Saddam’s reign and established a democratic government